Real Estate Industry Session

Thursday, November 13, 2025

1:00 PM - 5:00 PM - Reception to Follow

Schmidt Family Complex, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL

$25 Registration Fee

Event is open to the public

Unlock the Future of Real Estate at FAU’s Premier Industry Session!

Step into the heart of innovation and expertise at the Real Estate Networking & Insights Session, part of the 2nd Annual Boca Finance and Real Estate Conference at Florida Atlantic University.

This exclusive event brings together top minds from across the country for an afternoon packed with actionable insights, networking, and forward-thinking discussions.

Why Attend?

Hear from Industry Leaders: Engage with renowned experts Ryan Greenblatt (Florida Atlantic University), Dr. Randy Anderson (University of South Florida), Scott Hughes (Trimont), Dr. Stace Sirmans (Auburn University), Dr. Joshua Harris (CrossMarc Services) and Dr. Ken H. Johnson (University of Mississippi) as they share the latest trends, data, and strategies shaping the real estate landscape.
Explore Cutting-Edge Topics: From the state of the economy and commercial real estate to the impact of Agentic AI and the evolution of the US housing market, every session is designed to deliver fresh perspectives and takeaways.
Network with the Best: Connect with fellow professionals, industry leaders, and academic experts during the wine and cheese reception. Build relationships that can drive your business forward.
Exclusive Access: This session is open to the public and professionals in industry, offering a unique opportunity to join the region’s most influential voices in finance and real estate.

Don’t miss your chance to be part of South Florida’s most dynamic real estate gathering! Secure your spot, gain the latest market intelligence, and expand your professional network at the Boca Finance and Real Estate Conference.

REGISTER NOW

SESSION AGENDA

Date: Thursday, November 13, 2025
Time: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM (Reception to follow)
Location: Schmidt Family Complex, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL
Registration Fee: $25 (ensures commitment and access to all sessions and networking)

1:00 - 1:15 PM – Welcome and Session Introduction, Dr. Randy Anderson, University of South Florida
1:15 - 2:00 PM – State of the Economy and Commercial Real Estate, Scott Hughes, Trimont, Managing Director of Data Research
2:00 - 2:15 PM – The Local Residential Market, Ryan Greenblatt, Florida Atlantic University
2:15 - 3:05 PM – Agentic AI in Finance and Real Estate, Dr. Stace Sirmans, Auburn University

3:05 - 3:20 PM – Break

3:20 - 4:10 PM – Current State of the US Housing Market, Dr. Ken Johnson, University of Mississippi
4:10 - 5:00 PM – Triumph of the 30 Minute City, Dr. Joshua Harris, CrossMarc Services, Senior VP

5:00 - 7:00 PM – Reception and Networking

The Fogelman Sports Museum will be open from 5:30-7:00pm on Thursday, 11/13 during the reception hours.

Visit The Avron B. Fogelman Sports Museum at the Schmidt Family Complex for Academic and Athletic Excellence at FAU. The Collection is considered one of the largest private sports libraries amassed by an individual. It was donated by Former Kansas City Royals owner and longtime Boca Raton resident Avron B. Fogelman.

The museum offers visitors a visual progression of American sports alongside vignettes of the country’s growth, providing historical context, opportunities for intergenerational connections and unique storytelling.

Meet the Industry Session Experts

Dr. Randy I. Anderson

Director of the Real Estate Programs
University of South Florida

Dr. Randy I. Anderson is the Director of the Real Estate Programs at the University of South Florida’s Muma College of Business, where he leads program development and industry engagement. Dr. Anderson teaches courses in real estate finance and investments. He is an internationally recognized scholar and practitioner in real estate, with a research focus on REITs, private and public real estate solutions, and portfolio construction.

Dr. Anderson has played a pivotal role in shaping real estate education across the country, having helped establish and lead programs at Florida International University, the University of Central Florida, and Baruch College. Dr. Anderson held Eminent Scholar Chairs at FIU and UCF, and he served as Academic Director of the William Newman Real Estate Programs at Baruch, as well as being the first William Newman Chair of Real Estate.

In the private sector, Dr. Anderson was Co-Founder and CEO of Griffin Capital Asset Management Company, where he launched and managed the Griffin Institutional Access Real Estate Fund and the Griffin Institutional Access Credit Fund. These funds, now part of Apollo Global Management, represent innovative approaches to democratizing institutional real estate investing. He served as a Partner in Real Assets at Apollo. He was the CEO and Chairman of the Board for the Real Estate Interval Fund and Co-CEO and board member of Apollo’s Non-Traded REIT. Before joining Griffin, he held senior roles at Bluerock Real Estate LLC, where he served as a Founding Partner and Portfolio Manager of the Bluerock Total Income + Real Estate Fund. Dr. Anderson also served as a senior executive at other firms, including Prudential, Marcus & Millichap, and CNL.

Dr. Anderson is a former Executive Director of the American Real Estate Society (ARES), a Kinnard Young Scholar Award recipient, and has served as co-editor of both the Journal of Real Estate Portfolio Management and the Journal of Real Estate Literature. He has published extensively in top academic and practitioner journals. He is a frequent speaker at national and international conferences, as well as a regular contributor to top media outlets, including CNBC and Fox Business News.

He earned his PhD in Finance as a Presidential Fellow from the University of Alabama and holds a B.A. in Finance from North Central College.

Ryan Greenblatt

Adjunct Professor of Finance
Florida Atlantic University

Ryan Greenblatt, FAU, Adjunct Professor, Department of Finance, teaches RE sales and marketing class. He is a Broker with Lang Realty.

Scott Hughes

Managing Director for Data Research
Trimont

Scott Hughes is the Managing Director for Data Research at Trimont, the leading Commercial Real Estate loan service provider. Prior to this, Scott was the Director of Risk Analytics at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta for 15 years where he monitored emerging risks to the banking and real estate industries.

Dr. Joshua Harris

Senior Vice President
CrossMarc Services

Dr. Joshua Harris is a leading real estate economist and investment strategist specializing in real estate development, finance, capital markets, and business organizational leadership and strategy. Dr. Harris excels at assessing feasibility/profitability of projects, markets, and investment strategies/funds; examining the state of the macroeconomy and its impacts on real estate markets; delivering dynamic presentations for industry audiences; and providing strategic guidance and business development services for large organizations.

Dr. Harris serves as Senior Vice President of CrossMarc Services, a family office investment management platform, real estate developer, and commercial brokerage. Prior to joining CrossMarc, Dr. Harris as the Vice President of Investment Strategy for Skanska USA Commercial Development, a leading developer of high-rise office, multifamily, and mixed-used projects in urban cores nationwide. Dr. Harris served as an advisor to the Senior Leadership Team and acts as the head of investment strategy and research coordinating all business planning, market analysis, and research initiatives. Additionally, Dr. Harris remains on the faculty of the Fordham Real Estate Institute at Fordham University after holding prior academic appointments at New York University, St. John’s University, and the University of Central Florida.

Dr. Harris holds a PhD in Finance from the University of Central Florida with a research emphasis in institutional real estate and capital markets. Dr. Harris holds the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA) designation, a NAIOP Research Foundation Distinguished Fellow, a Counselor of Real Estate (CRE) and serves as the organizations’ Chair of the Economic Advisory Council, a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM), received a gubernatorial appointment to the Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board, elected a Board Member of the AFIRE organization, and was the recipient of the 2020 Practitioner-Scholar Award from the American Real Estate Society.

Dr. Ken Johnson

Christie Kirkland Walker Chair of Real Estate and Professor of Finance
University of Mississippi

Dr. Ken Johnson is a well-known scholar with numerous peer reviewed publications on the U.S. housing market, real estate brokerage, transactional real estate, mortgage markets, and real estate investment. His recent articles have appeared in Real Estate Economics, Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Journal of Housing Economics, Journal of Real Estate Research, Journal of Housing Research, The Appraisal Journal, Journal of Real Estate Practice and Education, Journal of Real Estate Portfolio Management, and Journal of Real Estate Law.

Dr. Stace Sirmans

Associate Professor of Finance
Auburn University

Dr. Stace Sirmans is an Associate Professor of Finance in the Raymond J. Harbert College of Business at Auburn University, where he teaches courses in finance and real estate capital markets. His research examines what drives asset prices and performance in real estate markets, with a focus on how market beliefs and credit risk dynamics shape returns and risk. His work has been published in leading journals, including The Journal of Finance, the Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, and the Journal of Real Estate Research. He has presented his research at more than 50 conferences and seminars around the globe.

Questions about the conference should be directed to

Anita Pennathur: pennathu@fau.edu